HALO Maritime Defense Systems announced that John Shephard was appointed to the Board of Directors and also as a Special Consultant today.

John Shephard is CEO of Pallas-Athena Group, LLC. He has been President of Newport News Industrial Co. and Senior Vice President of Operations for Northrop Grumman-Newport News, producer of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and submarines for the U. S. Navy, and Virginia’s largest industrial employer. He introduced numerous innovations, overhauling manufacturing and supply chain operations with state-of-the-art facilities and processes. Northrop Grumman-Newport News was the recipient of the Shingo Prize in 2005 and the “Medallion of Excellence” from the U.S. Senate’s Productivity and Quality Award Program in 2004. Among the ships produced by Newport News during his tenure are the 100 thousand-ton aircraft carriers Harry Truman, Ronald Reagan, and George H. W. Bush, and several new Virginia-class submarines, the most advanced undersea vessels ever built.

“As HALO Maritime Defense Systems continues to scale into its next phase of development, John Shephard’s extensive experience in manufacturing processes and supply chain management will be invaluable to our company,” said Rocky Spane, Chairman of HALO Maritime Defense Systems.

“This is an exciting time for me to join HALO Maritime Defense Systems as a Director and as a Special Consultant,” said Mr. Shephard. “As governments and businesses contend with the need to secure critical in-port, littoral and off-shore assets, HALO Maritime Security Barriers will enable them to protect these assets and will have a lasting impact on the Maritime Security Industry.”

Graduating with distinction from West Point in 1977, Mr. Shephard served more than twenty years of active and reserve service in the U.S. Army, held progressive command and staff positions from platoon to division level, and is a Gulf War veteran.

Mr. Shephard holds an M.S. degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and serves on the Alumni Advisory Council of MIT’s Engineering Systems Division. He was selected as a White House Fellow in 1988.

HALO Maritime Defense Systems, formerly known as Elemental Innovation, is the world leader in Maritime Security Barriers. The HALO™ Barrier is the only true security solution for protecting valuable maritime assets such as Ports, FPSO Vessels, Naval Bases, LNG Terminals, Oil Rigs and Nuclear Reactors. The stable, catamaran structure can withstand any sea state and is impervious to the corrosive nature of the marine environment. A modular design allows complete customization of HALO™ to meet any level of threat or security concern, and also be a part of an integrated security solution. Easy to maintain and friendly to the environment, the HALO™ Barrier is the world’s leading Maritime Security Barrier.